No one has won more titles, including five state champsionships, than the Trjojans and the program’s legacy seems to have no end in sight, just like some of the longballs the team pounded on Thursday night.

Parkland blasted its way past Liberty 11-0 Thursday night for its fifth consecutive league championship — fourth straight in the EPC — and the program’s 20th overall.

KEITH GROLLER / The Morning Call

The Parkland softball team poses for a team photo with their championship medals after beating Liberty 11-0 Thursday night at Patriots Park for the program's fifth straight league title, fourth in a row in the EPC.

The Parkland softball team poses for a team photo with their championship medals after beating Liberty 11-0 Thursday night at Patriots Park for the program's fifth straight league title, fourth in a row in the EPC. (KEITH GROLLER / The Morning Call)

Senior Makenzie Wolfe hit a pair of home runs and fellow 12th grader Steph Herpel clubbed a three-run shot as Parkland ended a long day of high school softball a little bit earlier than expected with a mercy rule victory stopped after 4½ innings.

Parkland got a two-hitter from junior Kelly Dulaney and an 11-hit attack that featured at least one hit from all nine members of the starting lineup.

Herpel and Wolfe both had two hits, including three that left the park.

“On the bus ride over here, we decided that we’re not losing,” the Clarion-bound Wolfe said. “We are going through and taking gold. When i got up to bat it was like ‘here we go.’ “

And the ball went over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead just two batters into the lineup for Parkland. Ashley Gallina, who would later add a two-run double, plated a third first-inning run on a sacrifice fly.

The Trojans tacked on four in the third with the help of a few Liberty errors. Kiara Bryant got into the offensive flow with a RBI single.

“It was great for the kids,” Parkland coach Barry Search said. “Every team works hard, but our seniors work very, very hard. They pulled everything together and the seniors are the cause of the most satisfaction for me this year. it’s just something that sort of perpetuates itself.”

Liberty was trying for a repeat of last year’s District 11 6A title game win over Parkland, but Chelsea Morgan set an immediate positive tone for the Trojans with a single to start the bottom of the first.

“People say we win because we have a lot of kids and we do have 21 because I don’t believe in cutting kids,” Search said. “We have a lot of good ballplayers here. But it’s more than the numbers. You have to give all the kids credit because of how they work. I’m very fortunate to have another good coaching staff this year and these guys busted their humps to make this happen.”

Wolfe, whose fifth home run of the season was a two-run shot in the third, said it feels great to be apart of the Parkland program.

“In the end, we want to show how hard we work all year,” Wolfe said. “We start in November, maybe even earlier. We go from there.”

Herpel picked a good time for her first home run of the season, a three-run blast in the fourth.

“It’s great to come together as a team and have everybody hitting,” Herpel said. “It’s a team win.”

Search said the offensive outburst was a pleasant surprise, especially after his team was limited to just four hits in a 1-0 semifinal win over Easton on Monday night.

“We just couldn’t get anything going, but the kids were fired up for this,” Search said.

Search tipped his cap to Liberty, which was trying to win two playoff games in a span of just a few hours.

“I’m not making excuses for Sam [Carrodo, Liberty’s coach], but it’s tough to play two games in one night,” Search said. “I know they do it in summer ball, but in this atmosphere, it’s tough. But it’s the way it is.”

EPC SEMIFINAL

To get to the finals, Liberty beat Christmas City rival Bethlehem Catholic 5-2.

Sophomore Paige Zigmund tossed a six-hitter and the eighth-seeded Hurricanes were able to manufacture enough runs off Becahi ace Tatum Kresley to stage a rematch of last year’s District 11 6A title game won by Liberty.

Kyla Benner had three hits and Brooke Zigmund had two hits and two sacrifice bunts for the Hurricanes (15-8) who upset No. 1 seed Nazareth in the quarterfinals.

“It was an outstanding effort by our girls,” Carrodo said. “Paige threw a great game and we did what we needed to do at the plate against Tatum Kresley who is an outstanding pitcher. Our kids are getting a lot of experience and we just hope to carry it forward.”

Bethlehem Catholic (16-5) had its opportunities and got an RBI single from Morgan Christine and a sacrifice fly from Tasha Miner, but couldn’t get the big hit.

“Liberty has some good hitters and we knew that going in, but we had our chances and left people on base,” Golden Hawks coach Rich Mazza said. “We hit the ball hard a couple of times, but right at people.”

Fortunately for Becahi there’s still the District 11 4A tournament. The Golden Hawks will likely get a bye straight into the semifinals next Thursday.